Holocaust Museum Houston, the Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region and the Houston Police Department work together to offer training for recruit, in-service and command-level law enforcement officers.

The program offered in Houston is based on a model developed at the national level by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Anti-Defamation League. The resulting program in Houston, "Law Enforcement in Society: Lessons of the Holocaust" examines the history of the Holocaust and the role of modern law enforcement in society against the backdrop of local law enforcement during the Holocaust.

The course encourages law enforcement officials to reflect upon their professional and personal responsibilities in our pluralistic and democratic society. The TCLEOSE-certified course is offered every other month, is free and offers 8 hours of TCLEOSE credit.

The core components of a training session are: (1) a guided tour of Holocaust Museum Houston's Permanent Exhibition to learn about the history of the Holocaust (1933-1945); (2) a discussion and photo analysis led by Museum historians and educators on the role of the police within the Nazi state and how the role of law enforcement changed during that pivotal time; and (3) an interactive examination of the important and difficult role of police and law enforcement in American society today, led by ADL facilitators. This unique program in Houston, guided by our ongoing work with local law enforcement officials, features a tour leader who is a police officer and Museum docent.

"Law Enforcement in Society: Lessons of the Holocaust" encourages a new dialogue between law enforcement personnel and the community in an era when the challenges for all are greater than ever.

This free course is open to law enforcement officers and others who are interested in learning about the roles of law enforcement in the Holocaust and how law enforcement officers are pivotal in upholding democratic values today.

For more information, call 713-942-8000, ext. 118 or e-mail education@hmh.org.

Law enforcement personnel interested in registering to attend should call 713-627-3490, ext. 134, or e-mail ADL's law enforcement liaison at dmarks@adl.org.